One Piece: The Unrivaled Dragon Man: I am God's Agent!

Chapter 270: The Abyss of Rift Power

The core of the star chart lit up again, and the intense energy fluctuations warned observers of something that could not be ignored: the residual energy of the rift was expanding synchronously in multiple dimensions. Although some variants had been initially contained, they were proliferating at an alarming rate and gradually developing into more complex and covert forms.

“The spread of these variants is not random; they seem to be part of some coherent plan.” The Observer’s deep voice echoed across the star map. “While the awakening of the new Guardians is timely, their current power is insufficient to completely stop the rise of the Rift.”

The star chart's brilliance projected a cosmic map, marking several regions with unusually intense energy fluctuations. Each region showed signs of remnants of rifts, threatening the balance of their respective dimensions in different ways. Most worryingly, these energy fluctuations exhibited a chain reaction, as if brewing a much larger crisis.

"Attention all new Guardians!" the Observer commanded. "Your next target is the Abyss Zone, located at the edge of a dimensional rift, where the energy fluctuations from the fissures are extremely active. You are required to investigate as soon as possible and find the true source of these variants' spread."

Upon receiving their orders, Ares, Selena, and Wagner immediately boarded an interstellar shuttle. Their destination was a nearly untouched abyssal dimension, one of the few regions in the universe not entirely covered by rules, where the power of rifts could easily run rampant.

“The Abyss… I’ve never heard of such a place.” Wagner leaned back in his chair on the bridge, a hint of unease in his voice. “What is it like there?”

“The Abyss is a place that the rules of the universe cannot fully control,” Selena explained while adjusting the weapon system. “Its very existence is a mystery, and it may even be older than the Rift.”

Ares stood before the observation window, his gaze fixed on the endless starry sky. "We must be careful; this mission may be far more difficult than the previous battles."

The interstellar shuttle gradually approached the boundary of the abyssal dimension. As their vessel passed through a massive energy rift, the entire space suddenly darkened, filled with a crimson mist. Starlight almost completely vanished here, leaving only a faint halo barely illuminating the path ahead.

“Welcome to the Abyss Zone,” Selena said with a slightly teasing tone, but her hand never left the trigger of her weapon.

Their shuttle landed on an island suspended in the void. This place had no obvious ground, only floating crystal fragments connected to form bridges leading to the deeper abyss.

“The gravity here seems unstable.” Ares stepped on the crystal bridge, feeling the subtle changes beneath his feet. “Every step feels like stepping into an uncertain future.”

“Not only is the gravity unstable here, but the flow of time is also very strange.” Selena’s tone became serious, and her watch showed that time was constantly jumping. “The flow of time here is non-linear; we may be in the past and the future at the same time.”

Wagner stomped his foot on the crystal bridge. "Whether it's the past or the future, our goal is to find the rift core and destroy it!"

As they advanced toward the core of the abyss, they discovered that the energy in the fissures along the way seemed to have changed. The energy that should have emitted chaotic fluctuations became unusually stable, flowing on the crystal surface in a certain pattern, even outlining complex runic patterns.

“These runes don’t seem to be randomly generated.” Selena crouched down to examine one of the crystals. “They’re more like some kind of language, a cosmic language we don’t understand.”

Ares's rune sword began to tremble slightly, as if in response to the crystalline runes. He stared at the runes, vaguely sensing some indescribable power contained within them.

“Perhaps these runes are the key to the spread of the Rift variant,” Ares murmured. “We must figure out what they mean.”

As the Guardians ventured deeper into the heart of the Abyss, they discovered a vast energy field. It was a rift core suspended in the void, resembling a giant heart, its surface covered with shimmering runes and pulsating energy lines.

"Is this the core of the rift?" Wagner gripped his battle axe, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "It looks alive."

Selena aimed her sniper rifle at the core and analyzed, "These runes seem to be the core's protective mechanism. Any attack that gets close to it will be absorbed by its energy. We must find a way to destroy these runes."

Ares sensed the resonance between the rune sword and the core, and he boldly took a step closer, attempting to disrupt the core's energy flow with his own power. However, the moment he approached the core, the entire space suddenly trembled.

"You've finally arrived." A deep, hoarse voice emanated from the core, its tone laced with undisguised sarcasm. "Guardians... do you really think you can stop an inevitable fate?"

"Who is this?" Ares stepped back warily, his gaze fixed on the core, but he couldn't find the source of the voice.

"I am the will of the Rift," the voice continued. "You shut down my original form, but the Rift has never truly disappeared. Your so-called repair has only brought me a new direction for evolution."

"A new direction for evolution?" Selena frowned. "What exactly do you want?"

“What I want is freedom.” The voice from the Rift Core turned low and cold. “What you call the rules of the universe are nothing but a cage. And I will break this cage and create a new order that belongs to me.”

As soon as the Rift Core finished speaking, the entire energy field began to vibrate violently. Countless crystalline life forms surged out from the core, their forms more complex than the previous variants, their bodies covered with flowing runes, and their movement speed incredibly fast.

"Prepare for battle!" Ares shouted, swinging his rune sword to meet the first wave of enemies.

Wagner roared, his battle axe shattering several crystalline lifeforms with each swing, but the number of enemies seemed endless.

“These runes are their source of power!” Selena warned as she fired. “If we don’t destroy the runes, they will keep regenerating!”

Ares immediately changed tactics, concentrating his power to direct the light of his runic sword towards the runic patterns surrounding the rift's core. Each time his sword pierced the runes, it was accompanied by violent energy fluctuations, and the movements of the crystalline lifeforms noticeably slowed down.

"Keep attacking the runes! That's the key to weakening them!" Ares shouted.

The three of them worked together to destroy a portion of the runes, and the energy fluctuations of the rift core began to weaken, but the core itself remained indestructible.

“We need more power!” Wagner shouted, his battle axe glowing red-hot. “Otherwise, we won’t be able to break through its core!”

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, Ares's rune sword suddenly erupted with a dazzling light, piercing directly through the protective layer surrounding the core. The Observer's voice echoed in his mind: "Concentrate your power, merge the guidance of the star map with the rune sword; your power is the key to defeating the core."

Ares gritted his teeth, channeling all his energy into the runic sword, and thrust it fiercely towards the core of the rift. At that moment, the core emitted a piercing shriek, and the entire space of the abyss began to collapse.

"Get out of here!" Selena shouted, grabbing Ares's arm and pulling him away from the core area.

In the light of the explosion, the rift core finally disintegrated, but its last words still echoed in their ears: "My freedom... will surpass your understanding..."